Coined retaining ring



April 27, 1965 J. R. NEwcoMER, JR? E'rAl. 3,180,388

I COINED RETAINING RING'- Filed Nov. 13; 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 /O Zo F LE' i IZ INVENToRs 7@ l; El 50 @ffm W5S/swf@ @e 76 MLL@ TTORA/EY J. R. NEWCOMER, JR.. ET AL April 27, 1965 COINED RETAINING RING 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 15. 1961 E 1D 76 INVENTORS WN gig/gew R @QW 50 HTTOENEY United States Patent O 3,180,388 CINED RETAINNG RING lacet) R. Newcomer, Jr., Westwood, and Milan Busovsiy,

Paramus, NJ., assignors to Carnico Fastener Corporation, Paramus, NJ., a corporation of New Yorir Filed Nov. 13, 1961, Ser. No. 151,869 1 Claim. (Ci. 15b-69) Our invention relates to a coined retaining ring and more particularly to an improved retaining ring for holding the nut of a stressed panel fastener on theV panel.

The copending application of lohn L. Vander Sande et al., Serial No. 116,314 tiled June 12, 1961, discloses an interthreaded fastening assembly in which an internally threaded nut carried by a stressed panel coacts with an externally threaded stud carried by a frame member securely to hold the panel in position on the frame member while at the same time permitting its ready removal to give access to the space behind the panel. As is pointed out in the copendinrf application, the arrangement of the fastener is such that the threaded nut is retained on the stressed panel when the nut is disengaged from the screw. A feature of construction of the assembly disclosed in the copending application is the provision of a mechanical fuse which relieves in response to excess tension or in response to excess torsion to prevent overtightening of the fastening element. The internally threaded nut of the fastener shown in the copending application is a resilient ring disposed in a recess in the stressed panel and adapted to expand around the internally threaded nut under the action of cam surfaces on the nut when the fastener is secured in its tightened position. When the nut is disengaged from the stud the spring retainer contracts around a reduced diameter portion of the nut and coacts with a flange or ledge on the end of the nut thus to retain the nut on the stressed panel.

One of the most edicient spring retainers which has heretofore been used is one which is bent from wire having a square cross-section to form a ring of generally serpentine configuration, Even this spring retainer fails to perform its function of retaining the nut on the panel when sufficient force is exerted on the ring between the retaining flange on the nut and the panel.

We have discovered that when a ring is formed in the manner described above, metal iiows toward the inside of a convolution or bend of the ring so that in this area the ring has a keystone configuration. Owing to this fact, when a force is exerted between the nut and the panel the retaining ange on the nut acts on the keystone sections of the inboard convolutions of the ring in a direction to cam these convolutions outwardly to cause the spring to expand to free the nut from the panel. We have discovered that this is the canse of failure of fasteners of the type described above employing a retaining ring formed from wire having a square crosssection.

We have invented an improved retaining ring which overcomes the defects of rings of the prior art pointed out hereinabove. Our retaining ring holds the nut on the panel even under the action of a relatively large force exerted between the nut and the panel. The construction of our retaining ring is such that it not only overcomes the defects of retaining rings of the prior art but also it enhances the action of the ring in retaining the nut in position on the panel.

One object of our invention is to provide a retaining ring for a stressed panel fastener which overcomes the disadvantages of stressed panel fastener retaining rings of the prior art.

Another object of our invention is to provide a retaining ring for a stressed panel fastener which prevents the ICC nut from being withdrawn from the panel accidentally even though considerable pull is exerted on the nut.

A further obiect'of our invention is to provide a retaining ring for a stressed panel fastener which enhances the action of the retaining ring in securely locking the nut to the panel.

Still another object of our invention is to provide a method for making retaining rings for stressed panel fasteners.

Other and further objects of our invention will appear from the following description.

In general our invention contemplates the provision of a retaining ring for holding the nut of a stressed panel fastener on the panel in which the retainer is bent from resilient wire of square or rectangular cross-section to a serpentine coniiguration to form the ring. When the ring has thus been bent to shape, at least the inboard convolutions of the ring are coined to a keystone crosssectional shape with the large dimension of the keystone adjacent the nut. Following the coining operation, the ring may be tempered.

In the accompanying drawings which form part of the instant specification and which are to be read in conjunction therewith and in which like reference numerals are used to indicate like parts in the various views:

FIGURE 1 is a sectional view of a stressed panel fastener including our improved retaining ring.

FlGURE 2 is a plan view of a stressed panel fastener retaining ring at an intermediate stage of the formation thereof.

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view of the stressed panel fastener retaining ring shown in FGURE 2 drawn on an enlarged scale and taken along the line 3-3 of FEGURE 2. i

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary sectional view of the nut of a stressed panel fastener having a bent wire retaining ring and illustrating the ring action in an intermediate stage in the formation thereof.

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view of the stressed panel fastener shown in FIGURE l drawn on an enlarged scale and taken along the line 5 5 of FGURE 6.

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary sectional view of a stressed panel fastener nut together with our improved retaining ring illustrating the action of the ring in its completed form.

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary sectional view of our retaining ring shown in FIGURE 5 drawn on an enlarged scale and taken along the line '7 7 of FIGURE 5.

FIGURE 8 is a fragmentary sectional view of an alternate form of our stressed panel fastener retaining ring.

VFIGURE 9 is a fragmentary sectional view of yet another form of our stressed panel fastener retaining ring.

FIGURE 10 is a fragmentary sectional View of a still further form of our stressed panel fastener retaining ring.

Referring to FIGURE 1 of the drawings, We have illustrated a stressed panel fastener, indicated generally by the reference character 1l), for securing a stressed panel 12 to a frame member 14. The fastener 1li includes a carrier 16. A carrier cage 18 surrounding the carrier 16 is retained on the frame member 14 by iianges Ztl formed on rivet-receiving bushings'ZZ provided in a carrier retainer 24 secured to the member 14 by any suitable means such as by rivets 26 extending through the bushings 22. We disposed a clamping ring 28 between the frame 14 and thecarrier 16. Lugs 30 disposed in notches 32 in an opening in the retainer 24 prevent relative rotation between the clamping ring 2 and the retainer 24. We form the inner end of the carrier 1o with ears 34 resting in slots 36 formed in the ring 225 to prevent relative rotation between the carrier and the ring. We provide the carrier 16 with a plurality of slots 33 extending from a point intermediate the length of the carrier to the end of the `carrier adiacent member 14. Carrier i6 is formed from a resilient material such as steel so that the slots 3f forma plurality of spring tabs 4i). An inclined surface 42 on the end of the carrier coacts with an inclined surfacef44 formed Y on the ring 28 so that when the fastener is tightened in a manner to be described hereinafter the spring tabs 4d diameter of the neck portion 48 either a predetermined Y tension or a predetermined torsion permitsY the neck portion to rupture. The head 52 of the stud 4u has a plurality of wings 54 which lodge in corresponding slots formed in carrier 16. A flange 56 formed at the end of the carrier firmly holds the head S2 in engagement the rnostl efficient thus devised in the prior art, theyy are Y not as effective as is desirable.

with a shoulder Sformed in thek inside of the carrier.v

In this manner we securely fasten the stud to the carrier to prevent any movement thereof either longitudinally of the carrier or around the longitudinal axis of the carrier. A tapered portion S9 on the end of the stud acts as a guide for the stud nut to be described hereinafter.

Panel 12 carries the internally threaded sleeve nut, in dicated generally by the reference'character et), of the fastener it). This nut et) has internal threads 62 adapted to engage the threads Si) and it has a socket 64 byv means of which it rnay be rotated'by use of a suitable tool. A

flange 66 surrounding the socket 64 is adapted Vto engage the portion of panel 12 around the nut-receiving opening 6% of the panel when the fastener is secured as will be described in detail hereinafter. A groove or recess 7d around ,the outside of the Vnut 60 remote from thev nut 6) on the panel 12. When the fastener is tightened We have discovered that by coining or otherwisereversing the keystone convolutions 7S the problem outlined abovenot only is eliminated but also the action of the retainingring in holding the nutin position is enhancedf v K Y Referring toFlGUREy 5, we have shownone form of our retaining ring '76 in whichv the inwardly directed convolutions 7d have been coined to a point indicated by the lines 82 in the ligure to reverse the direction of the keystone cross-section of Vthese convolutions as showny in FlGUREY 7. VThis operation can be performed in any suitable press known to the prior art with the use of appropriateY dies. As is known in the art, this Ycoining operation is arestricted cold ow process inwhic'h very Vhigh pressures are employed. While coining is the preferred manner in whichwe reverse the direction of the Y Vkeystone cross-section of the convolutions 7S, any suitableY method of accomplishing this result can be employed.

Referring to FGURE 6, we have shown thev action of our retaining ring 76, the inboar'd convolutions 78 of which have* cross-sections which are reversed from those of the preliminary form of ring 76 shown in FIGURES 2 and 3. It will be seen by reference to FIGURE 6 that in this form of our ring the narrow dimension of the cross-section faces outboard.V in response to a force in the direction of the arrow B tending to remove the nut the retainer 76 is expanded outwardly around thenut eil.'-

As has been pointed out hereinabove, the most efcient retaining ring which has heretofore been used is one which 1s bent from wire having a square or rectangular cross-sectional shape. In making our retainer we berndV a suitable resilient wire of square or rectangular crosssection to form a ring of serpentine configuration as illustrated in FIGURE L?. of the drawings. As can be seen by reference to this figure, the ring 76 thus formed includes a plurality yof 4inwardly directed serpentine convolutions' 78 and a plurality of outwardly directed ser-v is to be noted that as is shown in FlGUREvZ the inwardly Y directed convolutions 7S have a keystone cross-sectional Yshape with the narrow dimension of the Vkeystone adjacent the nut 60. Similarly, the outwardly directed convolutions 80 of the retainer 7.6 have their narrow dimensions outboard. With this arrangement, if a force is exerted on the nut 60 in the` direction of the arrow A in FIG- URE 4 tending to separate the nut from the panel theny the ledge of liange 72 exerts a force on the underside of the convolutions 7821s viewed in FIGURE V4 to tend to cam these convolutions outwardly to expand the spring. V1f a sufficient force is exerted, the camming loil'from the panel l2, there is no camming action tending to expand the ring to permit the nut to move away from the panel. To the contrary, any force exerted on they retaining ring merely serves to hold it more firmly in Vposition on the nut. In performing the coining operation, care mustbe exercised to avoid overcoining of the coined sections. Further, the intersecting radii adjacent the .line V32 must be liberal to relieve stress risers.

VThe proportion of the coined area to the total area of the ring 76 and the actual configuration of the ring after coining may be varied to achieve the optimum desired resuit. That is, the proportion ofthe coinedarea tothe total ring area niayproduce a difference in the expansion or contraction of the ring owing to coining. Referring to FIGURE 8, we .have shown one alternate form of our coined retaining ring ''din which the coined area extends over the irl-board convolutions to a point indicated by the reference character $4. FGURE 9 shows still another form of our coined retaining ring in which the entire ring is coined to reverse the keystone cross-section of the convolution 7d white causing the convolntions Sti to assume rectangular shape. If the ring is to be an internal retaining ring it may be desirable to coin the ring in the region of the outboard convolutionstl. ln FIGURE l0 We have shown aform of our invention in which both the' inner convolutions 73'and thevout'er convolutions Si? are coined so that their keystone cross-sections produced by the bending are reversed.

AIn operation ofthe fastener shown in FIGURE 1 of the drawings, when the Vstressed panel 12 is to bel secured` to thefrarne member 14, nut dit is pushed through the opening in the frame member and over the stud 4e. When this occurs the cam surface on Vthe nut 60 leading into the recess 75l cams the inner convolutions 7S of the springretainer 76 ,outwardly to expand the spring. As the nut is screwed onto the stud 5d the portion of the nut 6@ of enlarged diameter leading tothe head do further expands spring 76.V As the nut is tightened, stud 46 is the convolutions 7d f atenerse stud the frangible fuse portion 7S breaks to prevent damage to other parts ofthe assembly.

When the fastener is to be released, nut 6i) is turned in the opposite direction to back it olf the stud to a point at which the retainer 76 moves into the recess 70. When this occurs, the panel 12 is free of the frame member 14 and in response to an augmented axial force in the direction of the arrow B in FIGURE 6 the ange 72 and the portion of the panel 12 around the opening 68 exerts such a force on the convolutions 7S as to cam them into more secure engagement with the nut all. The alternate forms of our retainer ring shown in FIGURES 8 to 10 may be employed if desired as substitutes for the form of the ring 76 shown in FIGURES 5 and 6 for the particular purposes set forth hereinabove.

It will be seen that we have accomplished the objects of our invention. We have provided a retaining ring for a stressed panel fastener which overcomes the defects of retaining rings of the prior art. Our retaining ring not only overcomes the defects of retaining rings of the prior art but also it holds the nut in position on the stressed panel more securely than do rings of the prior art. We have provided a method of making a stressed panel retaining ring which is an improvement over rings of the prior art.

it will be understood that certain features and subcombinations are of utility and may be employed without reference to other features and subcombinations. This is contemplated by and is within the scope of our claim. it is further obvious that various changes may be made in details Within the scope of our claims without departing from the spirit of our invention. It is, therefore, to he understood that our invention is not to be limited to the specific details shown and described.

Having thus described our invention, what We claim is:

In a fastener for securing a member having a fastener receiving opening With a certain lateral dimension to a support, a fastener element having a longitudinal axis and provided with a shoulder extending substantially at right l@ angles to said fastener element axis, said fastener element extending through said opening and having means to engage another fastener element, and a resilient retainer disposed between said shoulder and said member for holding said element on said member, said retainer having a ring-like shape provided with a plurality of inwardly eX tending serpentine convolutions engaging said shoulder, said retainer having an outer dimension substantially greater than the lateral dimension of said opening, said retainer having a generally trapezoidal cross-section in the area of said inwardly extending convolutions with the generally parallel sides of said cross-section extending substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the fastener element, the smaller dimensioned generally parallel side of said generally trapezoidal cross-section being remote from said element and forming an obtuse angle with the adjacent side of said cross-section which engages the shoulder of said element.

Re-'erences Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 345,767 7/86 Buckley {l5-8.8

527,856 10/94 Hookharn 29-173 1,649,525 1l/27 Herold S5-8.8 1,66S,297 5/28 Wuerfel 29-173 1,758,515 5/30 Heiermann 85-8.8 2,157,516 5/39 Young 85-S.8 2.922,45 6 1/ 60 Kann 151-69 2,972,367 2/61 Wootton 151-69 2,991,816 7/61 Harbison 151--69 F OREGN PATENTS 894,783 3/44 France. 1,245,002 9/ 60 France.

339,455 12/30 Great Britain.

EDWARD C, ALLEN, Primary Examiner.

CARL TOMLIN, Examiner. 

